Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea (4-2 agg): Gunners advance to Carabao Cup final as Kai Havertz scores late winner in semi-final second leg
Report and free match highlights as Arsenal go through to the Carabao Cup final with 4-2 aggregate win over Chelsea; Kai Havertz's late goal sealed a 1-0 win in a cagey second leg; Arsenal will face either Man City or Newcastle in the final
Tuesday 3 February 2026 23:44, UK
Arsenal claimed their place in the Carabao Cup final as Kai Havertz's breakaway goal in stoppage time sealed a 1-0 win over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium and a 4-2 victory on aggregate.
At the end of a cagey encounter, substitute Havertz latched onto Declan Rice's cross before dribbling around Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and finishing into an empty net to seal Arsenal's passage to their first cup final since 2020.
The victory ends a run of four consecutive semi-final defeats for Arsenal under Mikel Arteta and means they will face either Manchester City or Newcastle in next month's final at Wembley.
Chelsea, needing a goal to send the tie to extra-time following the five-goal thriller at Stamford Bridge in the first leg, had 14 shots to Arsenal's five but were unable to create any clear openings.
- As it happened | Teams | Match stats
- Carabao Cup fixtures and results
- Got Sky? Watch Carabao Cup on the Sky Sports app 📱
- Not got Sky? Get instant access with no contract 📺
Enzo Fernandez was the only player to meaningfully test Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga when his curling effort from outside the box was palmed away in the first half.
The Gunners were mostly content to protect their lead, only threatening on a couple of occasions before Havertz's 97th-minute winner as they instead fell back on their defensive excellence to become the first club in Europe's major leagues to record a 20th clean sheet in all competitions this season.
Piero Hincapie and Gabriel Magalhaes went closest to making a breakthrough at the other end, forcing a save from Sanchez and having a header blocked by Marc Cucurella respectively, but it was Havertz who had the final say against his former club.
His coolly-taken goal, following an injury-hit season, sparked wild celebrations among the home fans inside the Emirates Stadium, ensuring a sickening climax for Liam Rosenior's side while keeping Arsenal's quest for silverware alive on four fronts.
Arteta: Havertz goal a magical moment
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said in his press conference: "We are so happy. I think overall, over the two games, we deserved to be through.
"It was a long match. We expected that. We wrapped it up at the end in a beautiful way, with Kai scoring the goal in the manner that he did and the reaction from the crowd.
"The starters, the finishers, the staff all there. It was magical. Really happy because it was a really tough match against a great opponent and we are in Wembley.
"I think the crowd was brilliant today. They brought so much energy and belief to the team in different moments. I think we all deserve to be together in Wembley."
Merson: Chelsea didn't have a go
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson said: "Chelsea played in second gear.
"This is the semi-final of a cup. You go out in a blaze. This is not like a League One or League Two side coming to the Emirates and trying to keep the score down.
"Chelsea have got the players to mix it with Arsenal. And they didn't have a go. If they'd have lost the game 3-0 but had shot after shot and Kepa was brilliant and they got broken on three times, that's the way it is.
"[Wesley] Fofana played well but he's crying - he probably knows that, as a player, you'll be in the dressing room afterwards thinking about how you didn't give it a go.
"I've played in games like that where you come off and you think we just got beat and didn't really have a go."
Rosenior: Let's see how we respond to a setback
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior in his press conference: "I think everyone can see a difference in our performances. I think you can. I think that's why you asked me the question. That's really pleasing.
"But, obviously, losing the game is not what we wanted.
"I've been in for less than a month. We've had eight games in that month. So, for the players, firstly, to put the performances in that they've done, to show me the learning and, by the way, the spirit, the togetherness, the fight in the team was there.
"There's a lot of encouraging signs. Now I need to see what we look like after a setback. We need to react positively.
"We have a difficult game away in Wolves on Saturday and I need to see what our reaction is to that."
When is the Carabao Cup final?
The final will take place at Wembley Stadium on Sunday March 22 and is scheduled to kick off at 4.30pm.
